Sadie Frown of the Week: The "Food Enhancement" Saga Continues

So after I wrote this post, I wrote each of the companies involved this letter:

"I am very troubled by the recent reports that your company has partnered with Senomyx. The fact that Senomyx feels that it is conscionable to use electively aborted fetal cells in their research is deeply disturbing, reprehensible and, to most people, disgusting. I truly hope that your company’s products have in no way been connected with this research.

After reading these reports I have decided to “go straight to the horse’s mouth” to see what your company claims is the nature of your relationship with Senomyx.

I’m afraid that at this point, any relationship at all with a company that conducts such disgusting testing, will be too much for our household. While some may claim that such testing has a history of success, it’s clear that history is filled with much that should be done away with and using the cells of aborted children to find “safe” flavors ranks high on that list.

I know that after reading these reports I cannot convince myself that it is acceptable to buy your products (which is pretty sad because we do buy them quite frequently!). I hope you can offer an explanation that will put my mind at rest (and the minds of my friends and family members) and reassure all of us that your company does not in fact have a relationship with any company that engages in these practices.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my concerns."

You see our family does use products from all the companies named pretty frequently, adding to the fact that this is deeply disturbing. So far I've received two responses. First from Nestle saying:

"Thank you for contacting Nestlé®.

We appreciate your comments and will report your concerns."

Gee, thanks Nestle. I'm glad you appreciate me. It's a shame I won't be buying your products until you shape up and actually stop giving this company payment of any sort.

And then, the response from Pepsi:

"Please know that we take very seriously the issues you raised. PepsiCo has a strong set of defined values we strive to live up to.

Unfortunately, there is some misinformation being circulated related to research techniques that have been used for decades by universities, hospitals, government agencies, and private companies around the world. These claims are meant to suggest that human fetal tissue is somehow used in our research. That is both inaccurate and something we would never do or even consider.

It also is inaccurate to suggest that tissue or cells somehow are being used as product ingredients. That’s dangerous, unethical and against the law. Every ingredient in every one of our products is reviewed and approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

We hope this information is helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for reaching out to us and allowing us to clarify the situation."

I have to say that I'm not really reassured. I would be reassured if they cut ties with Senomyx and didn't give them a cent. But that's like the government claiming that they only give some abortion mill money to do physicals. While the claim may be that the money doesn't directly pay for abortions, it is keeping the abortion mill afloat. Maybe Pepsi's money doesn't go directly to aborted-fetus-research (how seriously sick is that phrase) but it does keep a company in the black that does conduct that type of research.

The old cliche: "If you lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas" comes to mind. I try not to shop at stores that I know support Planned Parenthood or any other serious evil:

If I see a Susan G. Komen label on a product, it's likely going back on the shelf (how sad is that? I wish we could support something positive without supporting a grave evil...). I also find myself wishing that I could still buy those thin mints that I love (or any other Girl Scout cookie for that matter). However, unlike these companies, I'm not going to give money to groups that make incredibly poor choices, because I would be supporting those choices.

So Pepsi, while striving to live up to those values, I suggest you find a new biotech firm that doesn't use dead baby parts in any of their research. That's the only way you'll be making it back onto my shopping list...